Sachel Kungebeharry. -
TWO police officers have appeared before a High Court master charged with the murder and kidnapping for ransom of Central used-car dealer Sachel Kungebeharry.
Acting Cpl Ashraph Mohammed, 45, and Jason Dan Michael, 34, appeared before Master Magaret Sookraj-Goswami on October 11.
Sookraj-Goswami read the two charges to the two, but they were not allowed to plead, since they were charged indictably.
They are represented by attorneys Shiva Boodoo and Roshni Balkaran.
They are alleged to have murdered Kungebeharry sometime between September 24 and October 4, 2024, along with an unknown person, and misbehaviour in public office in the kidnapping for ransom.
Both men appeared via a virtual court link from the Besson Street police station.
They were charged by acting Sgt Lawrence Joefield of the Professional Standards Bureau. Joefield said there are 40 witnesses for the State and so far 32 statements have been sworn to, while another 15 are outstanding from police officers involved in the investigation.
A sufficiency hearing has been set for November 7, 2025.
The police have until December 18 to submit their file to the Director of Public Prosecutions for an indictment to be filed by March 27, 2025.
Both officers were remanded into the custody of the prison.
On October 8, a third suspect held in connection with Kungebeharry’s abduction and murder was released.
Kungebeharry, 32, of Pierre Road, Felicity, was kidnapped on September 25, after a marked police car intercepted the car he was in at Endeavour Road Extension, Chaguanas.
Kungebeharry was taken away by two men dressed in what appeared to be police tactical uniforms, and a ransom demand was later made for his safe release.
On September 29, the family paid $500,000, but he was not released.
The police car used in the kidnapping was seized from the Caroni Police Station on October 1, police said.
On October 3, police found Kungebeharry's body in the Longdenville district.
In a release late on October 4, CoP Erla Harewood-Christopher said police officers who commit criminal acts will be booted out of the service and face the full brunt of the law. She said such incidents "threaten to erode the public's trust" in the police.
